Middle East conflict - Media: Israel tests flooding of Hamas tunnels
While the UN General Assembly is calling for an immediate ceasefire due to the catastrophic humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, the Israeli armed forces are testing the flooding of the Islamist Hamas tunnels, according to US media reports.
Seawater is being pumped into some tunnels to find out whether the method is suitable for large-scale destruction of the underground system, reported the US television station CNN and the newspaper "The Wall Street Journal".
A resolution introduced by Egypt for a humanitarian ceasefire achieved the necessary two-thirds majority at the United Nations General Assembly in New York yesterday. 153 countries voted in favor, 10 against. 23 countries abstained, including Germany. UN General Assembly resolutions are not legally binding, but are considered symbolic.
Hamas tunnels to be 500 kilometers long
Most recently, Israel's Chief of General Staff Herzi Halevi described the idea of flooding the extensive Hamas tunnel system with seawater as a good idea. According to the Israeli military, Hamas has built an extensive tunnel system under the Gaza Strip. It is estimated to be around 500 kilometers long. However, the Israeli army assumes that many of the 135 hostages still kidnapped from Israel are also being held in the tunnels.
At a press conference on Tuesday, US President Joe Biden was asked about the flooding. He replied: "It's very difficult as far as the flooding of the tunnels is concerned: it is claimed that there are certainly no hostages in these tunnels. But I don't know that for sure." He then added: "What I do know for sure is that every civilian death is an absolute tragedy.
The Gaza war was triggered by the worst massacre in Israel's history, carried out by terrorists from the Islamist Hamas and other extremist groups on October 7 in Israel near the Gaza border. More than 1,200 people were killed on the Israeli side as a result, including at least 850 civilians.
Abstention: Germany "faced with a difficult decision"
The UN resolution presented Germany with "a difficult decision", as the Federal Foreign Office announced on the short messaging service X, formerly Twitter. "We want to end the unbearable suffering of the people - in Israel and in Gaza".
The resolution calls for a "blanket ceasefire, but does not say why Israel is forced to defend itself: Because Hamas barbarically attacked Israel on Oct. 7. And because Hamas wants to continue destroying Israel." That is why Germany could not agree - but because it wanted to work to end the suffering of the Palestinians, it could not vote against it either.
Israel attacks targets in Lebanon and Syria
The Israeli air force said it had attacked positions of the Shiite militia Hezbollah in neighboring Lebanon. A fighter jet bombed a launch base and military infrastructure after rockets and mortar shells were fired at Israel from there, the military announced at night. In response to shelling from Syria, Israeli aircraft and tanks also fired on positions of the Syrian armed forces.
Biden wants change in the Israeli government
US President Joe Biden also called on Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to change the Israeli government in order to find a long-term solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The "most conservative government in the history of Israel" does not want a two-state solution. Israel is beginning to lose support around the world. Biden had previously promised Israel further support in the fight against Hamas. His "commitment to the security of the Jewish people" was unwavering.
Trudeau in favor of a permanent ceasefire
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is in favor of a permanent ceasefire in the Gaza war. This is what he told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a telephone conversation, Trudeau's office announced. Trudeau expressed his support for urgent international efforts to achieve a permanent ceasefire. He also emphasized Israel's right to defend itself in accordance with international law.
UN: People plead for security
Following a visit to the sealed-off coastal strip, Philippe Lazzarini, Commissioner-General of the Palestinian Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), posted on X (formerly Twitter): "People are everywhere, they live on the streets, they need everything." They pleaded for safety. "Our colleagues are being asked to do the impossible in an impossible situation." According to the United Nations, half of the population in the Gaza Strip is now starving.
WHO: Hospital is a "humanitarian disaster zone"
According to a report by the World Health Organization (WHO), the Al-Ahli hospital in the city of Gaza resembles a humanitarian disaster zone. The hospital can only occupy 40 of its 80 beds, but has more than 200 patients, reported Richard Peeperkorn, the WHO representative for the Palestinian territories occupied by Israel. Doctors were treating seriously injured patients, some of them on the ground and on the sidewalk.
Ministry: death toll rises to 18,400
The number of Palestinians killed in the Gaza Strip has risen to 18,412 since the beginning of the war, according to the health authority in Gaza. More than 50,000 other people have been injured, the ministry announced. The figures cannot currently be verified, but the UN and other observers point out that the authority's figures have proven to be generally credible in the past.
What is important today
CSU leader Markus Söder is traveling to Israel for a short visit. Among other things, he wants to meet with President Izchak Herzog for political talks.
Read also:
- Year of climate records: extreme is the new normal
- Precautionary arrests show Islamist terror threat
- SPD rules out budget resolution before the end of the year
- Numerous oil, gas and coal lobbyists at climate conference
- Despite the UN's call for an immediate ceasefire due to the dire situation in the Gaza Strip, Israel is testing the flooding of Hamas tunnels as a potential large-scale destruction method, according to reports from CNN and The Wall Street Journal.
- The flooding of the tunnels is a contentious issue, with US President Joe Biden expressing uncertainty about the presence of hostages in the tunnels during a press conference.
- The UN General Assembly resolution, which garnered a two-thirds majority in favor with 153 votes, 10 against, and 23 abstentions, including Germany, is not legally binding but holds symbolic weight.
- Hamas, an Islamist group, has built an extensive tunnel system under the Gaza Strip, estimated to be around 500 kilometers long, according to the Israeli military.
- Israel's Chief of General Staff Herzi Halevi expressed support for the idea of flooding the tunnels, believing it could help locate and neutralize hostages still held captive by Hamas.
- In response to the conflict, Israel has launched attacks on positions of the Shiite militia Hezbollah in Lebanon and Syrian armed forces following shelling from both nations.
- Faced with a difficult decision, Germany abstained from voting on the UN resolution, citing a desire to alleviate the suffering in Israel and Gaza while also acknowledging the need for self-defense due to Hamas' aggression.
- Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau supports a permanent ceasefire in the Gaza conflict and has urged international efforts to achieve it, emphasizing Israel's right to defend itself under international law.
- Following a visit to the Gaza Strip, UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini described the situation as dire, with people living in poverty and pleading for safety in the face of overwhelming challenges.
- The World Health Organization (WHO) reported that the Al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza is overwhelmed, treating over 200 patients with limited resources and space.
- The Palestinian health authority in Gaza reported a death toll of 18,412 and over 50,000 injuries since the start of the conflict, although these figures are not yet fully verified.
- Subsequent to the conflict, CSU leader Markus Söder is scheduled to visit Israel for political talks, aiming to address the ongoing Middle East conflict and promote a peaceful resolution.
Source: www.stern.de
